Heading to l'isle sur la sorgue for a few days coming up in June. My family really wants to see the Mediterranean on a day trip from l'isle sur la sorgue. We will have a car, but would like to take a break from driving and take the train. I am thinking train to Marseilles where we can check out the old port. Any other ideas for a day trip to the sea? We like walking around historic towns & cafes/restaurants. Is this a feasible day trip? Any other ideas for sea towns to visit on a day trip? Merci!
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3177 posts
Marseille is an underrated gem and I really recommend a visit. The Vieux Port is fascinating, the new Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, Château d’If, Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde are all worthwhile. The highlight, if you want to see the Mediterranean, would be to take a boat tour from the port to see the calanques from the sea.
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3723 posts
I think Marseille is an excellent idea. The train trip takes about 90 minutes whether you take a TER without having to change trains or take a TER to Avignon and change to a TGV so IMO this is a great day trip. You can see the Mediterranean from Notre Dame de la Garde and IMO that alone is worth the trip. As a day trip, I'd limit myself to the Basilica and the Vieux Port area. It could be my bad luck but I have driven twice in Marseille and the traffic was horrendous and the driving anxiety-inducing and I am not a person who is concerned about driving in cities in Europe. I think taking the train to Marseille is another excellent idea.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
To my eye this is a prime candidate for using that car. For more Med you could combine it with a trip to Cassis.
That said, you can take the train if you do not mind the extra time. But a day trip to, say, Arles might be a better day for that.
Posted by
Paris
6919 posts
In theory I'd say "train". But
- The trouble with the train is that the last one is at 7.20 PM, so in June you'll be missing out on the chance of an early evening drink.
- Régional trains in Provence have a poor on-time record.
- Marseille traffic is horrendous... Yet you can drive to the Vieux Port without experiencing any of it! Car park "Vieux Port Fort Saint Jean" has direct access from the A55 highway. Coming from the North you simply follow signs to Marseille-Vieux Port. That highway is also a great intro to the city, with amazing sea views.
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
Piling on about the car. We were based in Sorgue and enjoyed a day trip (rental car) to Cassis, particularly driving the Route des Crete, a terrific entrance to the town with spectacular views -- from convenient pull-overs -- of the Mediterranean and down to Cassis.
If interested, spend a few minutes with a map or GPS so you are able to approach Cassis from the east (meaning you will overshoot Cassis a bit coming from Sorgue so you can get on the Route des Crete (aka D141) at nearby LaCiotat.) In our case we arrived mid-morning, took a boat tour to the Calanques, then relaxed with lunch on the harbor. We were back in Sorgue for dinner. (Not disparaging Marseilles; we didn't make it there.)
Posted by
Sunriver
1321 posts
We drove through l'isle sur la sorgue stopping at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse on our way to Marseilles. We stopped at a few other hill towns and had lunch in Roussillon which I know was out of our way but we had a great day trip down to Marseilles - well worth the rental car